


i got high hopes, lots of potential, i'm high, broke, searching for symbols and i will not let go of what is mine

by endofdaysforme



Series: i'm learning to live, i'm trying to be better [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, I hope you like it!, oh did i mention this is the collar fic sequel? cause this is the collar fic sequel, so here...this is literally all smut and fluff and about five percent angst, you guys love this universe so much and i know we're all upset about choni right now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-25 21:38:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18171755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endofdaysforme/pseuds/endofdaysforme
Summary: her arm drapes over a slim waist before pink lips are placing gentle kisses against an alabaster colored shoulder, a pattern of some kind that she’s not even aware of slowly taking place as a low whine sounds out from the girl beside her.she knows that sound is one of her favorite sounds in the entire world. along with the sound of breathy moans, the sound of her name cried out over and over again as the body she’s currently pattering kisses over writhes beneath her in pleasure, she knows that she loves hearing any and all sounds that escape that beautiful mouth, lips rouged with red, parted and gasping for air desperately.oh, and she also knows that she is, in a way,patheticallyin love with cheryl blossom.perhaps it’s not something nice to think, but it’s the truth. because she is pitifully in love with the girl before her, to the point where if little toni topaz could give cheryl blossom the entire world, she’d do one better and give her the entire goddamnuniverse.--aka everyone asked for a sequel to the collar fic and i always aim to please so, voila!





	i got high hopes, lots of potential, i'm high, broke, searching for symbols and i will not let go of what is mine

**Author's Note:**

> AFTER BEING HIGHLY REQUESTED, IT'S HERE.
> 
> NOW...I NEED A BREAK. LMAO.
> 
> anyway, here's a sequel to the collar fic, i promise it's like 5% angst and has nothing to do with choni because they're going through enough angst on the goddamn show and we're all very fucking sad right now but I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THEY'RE BROKEN UP FOR GOOD. *veronica voice* THEY'RE ENDGAME.
> 
> anyway, i'm pretty sure this is going to be the last from this universe because guys, come on...they're happy, let's leave them be in their happy bubble. also said writer *points at self* is working on a lot of things right now and i smashed the last like 12K of this overnight so i'm operating on zero hours of sleep for you guys, you're lucky i love you lmao.
> 
> hope you like this, leave a comment letting me know what you think or you can find me on twitter at @endofdaysforme. bye now!
> 
> fic title from “Giver” by K.Flay

_i’ll never get sick of this._

 

toni topaz knows many things, has learned many things in the short eighteen years that she’s spent on this earth. she knows that kindness is not always received, but is a gift you should give nonetheless, knows that respect and trust are things that are earned, not just given willingly, and knows that love is the only thing in this world that’s capable of changing someone’s life forever.

 

she also knows that she’ll never get sick of _this._

 

the ticking fan above their heads blows cool air down on them, so much so that toni finds herself lifting the blankets over their bare legs to give them some form of heat despite the beginnings of summer air that cloyingly hangs in the small trailer they occupy. she has one elbow propped up on her pillow, head resting in her hand as the other trails tanned fingers up and down a pale arm, dancing across the skin with the corners of her lips tugging upwards into a smile when the prone body beside her shifts slightly and leans back just a little further into her touch. 

 

she finds herself inching a little closer, her own bare legs entangling with smooth pale ones before she ducks her head down, nose nudging through cascading waterfalls of red hair to inhale the scent of cherry and hibiscus shampoo mixed with sweat, eyes fluttering closed at the aroma that hits her. 

 

her arm drapes over a slim waist before pink lips are placing gentle kisses against an alabaster colored shoulder, a pattern of some kind that she’s not even aware of slowly taking place as a low whine sounds out from the girl beside her. 

 

she knows that sound is one of her favorite sounds in the entire world. along with the sound of breathy moans, the sound of her name cried out over and over again as the body she’s currently pattering kisses over writhes beneath her in pleasure, she knows that she loves hearing any and all sounds that escape that beautiful mouth, lips rouged with red, parted and gasping for air desperately.

 

oh, and she also knows that she is, in a way, _pathetically_ in love with cheryl blossom.

 

perhaps it’s not something nice to think, but it’s the truth. because she is pitifully in love with the girl before her, to the point where if little toni topaz could give cheryl blossom the entire world, she’d do one better and give her the entire goddamn _universe._

 

not for a lack of trying, that is.

 

a heavy exhale through the nose before that pale arm moves to grip her tanned wrist, pulling her closer. cheryl blossom doesn’t even open her eyes to the sound of toni topaz chuckling into her ear as she’s tugged forward, lips pressing a kiss behind it as cheryl simply hums and smiles with her eyes still closed.

 

“mmm…morning.” she croaks out, voice still thick with sleep as toni trails those deliciously plump lips of hers over her jawline and down her pale neck slowly.

 

“morning, baby.” she says throatily, teeth nipping just a little at her pulse point as the hand around her wrist squeezes with a sharp inhale.

 

“someone woke up on the right side of the bed.” cheryl breathes out, chuckling when toni hums against her skin, smiling at just how quickly that beautiful pulse point she loves biting on so much begins to race beneath her lips, her hand moving just a little lower to brush over jutting hipbones under smooth flesh. 

 

“i woke up to the sight of red hair and a beautiful, pale back, cher-bear. i _definitely_ woke up on the right side of the bed.” toni murmurs, smiling when cheryl pushes back into her touch with a soft laugh before she slowly turns onto her back and blinks her eyes open.

 

chocolate brown eyes stare up into her own, filled with nothing but love and affection, and toni’s heart utterly _melts_ at the sight, just like it does every morning.

 

she’ll never be able to fully wrap her mind around how this has become her life, waking up every morning to the most goddamn _beautiful_ girl in the world, in a relationship filled with love and trust and so much respect and honesty…

 

she’ll never understand how she managed to get the full package…a best friend, a lover, a _soulmate_ , in cheryl blossom.

 

toni can’t help but stare, the hand trailing over cheryl’s hipbones moving up a flat stomach, moving between the valley of full breasts before she’s cupping a tender, flushed cheek and brushing her thumb over full, buttery lips, bare of their usual red stained lipstick, light pink and slightly chapped from how often those perfect white teeth of hers chew at the flesh with uncertainty. 

 

“how did i get so lucky?” toni whispers breathily, eyes roaming over every inch of the face that stares up at her so adoringly, lips puckering to press a kiss to her thumb before they curl upwards in a lilting smile. 

 

“i ask myself the same every day, t.t.” cheryl says softly, fingers tucking a lock of pink hair behind toni’s ear tenderly before she’s scratching her nails at the nape of a tanned neck, throat bobbing with a heavy swallow while toni takes the initiative and leans down to capture that pillowy bottom lip she’s been brushing her thumb over between her own. 

 

cheryl breathes tiredly into the kiss, the hand scratching at her neck tangling into her hair as their tongues meet languidly, and all that toni can think about in this moment is making cheryl feel as good as she makes toni feel with every smile, every kiss, every _breath_ the redhead takes. 

 

“toni…you know i love you, right?” cheryl whispers against her lips, nose nuzzling against her own as toni begins trailing her lips over the corner of her mouth, down her jawline in slow, soft kisses, desperate to worship every inch of the girl beneath her.

 

“mmm, of course, baby…you know you don’t ever have to reassure me. and you know i love you, too…” toni mumbles, lips brushing over collarbones that stick out so prominently beneath alabaster flesh, and just as she’s about to trail her lips down to one of her favorite parts of cheryl’s body, the girl tucks a finger under her chin to lift her gaze up with a warm smile and, to toni’s surprise, a shake of her head.

 

“i know. so don’t be mad when i say that we have to put this on hold, t.t. we have much to do today, we don’t have time.” cheryl murmurs, and toni blinks once in surprise before she’s frowning and reaching up to place her hand over cheryl’s forehead with concern.

 

“are you okay?” she asks firmly, but still playfully, watching as cheryl cocks an eyebrow in confusion.

 

“i’m fine, toni, why?” toni grins widely.

 

“you’ve never said ‘no’ to sex before.”

 

“oh, hush.”

 

toni chuckles before she leans in to kiss cheryl’s full lips, humming against them as she contemplates her next move.

 

because she knows they have a lot to do today. they’re graduating high school in five days and cheryl wants to go the full nine yards, wants to prove to everyone at that damn school that despite everything that’s happened with her family, the dead brother, the murderous father, the abusive mother…she’s still strong. and god, is toni so proud of her for it…

 

she’d never, ever in her wildest dreams, pressure cheryl into sex. it’s disgusting and wrong on so many levels, but god, she _wants her._

 

and it’s not just now, either, it’s all the fucking time. she knows it’s the same for cheryl, too… they’ve been dating for well over eight months now, but they _still_ can’t get enough of each other.

 

“mmm…are you sure we don’t have time for it, baby? i just really…really…” toni trails off, moving open mouthed kisses over cheryl’s jawline before she’s nipping at her earlobe and grinning at the way cheryl shivers beneath her body.

 

“really, _really want you right now._ ” toni purrs, adding that little extra rasp to her tone that always has cheryl melting into goo, and sure enough, cheryl lets out this whine that she quickly covers into a low cough, her nails digging into toni’s bicep with a shaky exhale. 

 

“i…toni, we have to…we ha-have to…mmm…” cheryl barely gets the words out when toni bites down on her earlobe and tugs lightly, causing the red haired girl’s eyes to roll into the back of her head as her nails dig in a little deeper.

 

“are you sure we don’t have time for it?” toni murmurs. cheryl is silent, and toni finds herself grinning as she pulls back and looks into her eyes to see them almost black with lust before she purses her lips and lets out a shaky breath.

 

“you want me so badly?” she whispers, making toni’s entire spine pull taut as she fights back a groan, nodding slowly until cheryl licks her lips, causing toni’s eyes to flicker down to the way that goddamn tongue wets those beautiful lips of hers-

 

“then have me. i’m yours.” cheryl breathes, spreading her legs beneath toni’s body and allowing her to slot herself between them, and toni doesn’t waste a single second. 

 

after all, for the past eight months this is kind of how they’ve been starting their mornings.

 

she rests her body right over cheryl’s, bare skin against bare skin as her hands grip cheryl’s sides, nails digging in, lips moving against cheryl’s slowly, teasingly, tongue flicking over her top lip as the girl squeezes her eyes shut and grips the sheets between her fingers.

 

“move a little higher up the bed.” toni says firmly, fighting back a smile at the way cheryl shifts beneath her until her head is slightly propped against the headboard, forcing her to look down and watch as toni works her way down cheryl’s body with heated kisses that leave each patch of alabaster reddened, teeth grazing, nipping at the skin to leave her mark-

 

“toni, please…” cheryl whines, her fingers moving down to grip toni’s hair, and the pink haired serpent glances up at her, pulls away from where her mouth is kissing around the curve of her breast with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

 

“hands at the headboard or you get nothing. no touching.” toni demands, grinning when cheryl bites down on her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling before she’s reaching up to grip the headboard, curling those long pale fingers around the poles. 

 

toni knows cheryl loves it when she takes control, or else she wouldn’t wear that goddamn collar around her neck to signify their relationship. she’s been slowly taking further steps in her dominance as the months have gone by, to the point where now she knows she can fully step into the role at any time without hesitation of overstepping boundaries. they just _work_ together so well, it’s insane. there’s no need for verbal confirmation between each other anymore, they know every step, every body movement and what it means, and toni knows that when cheryl frowns when she gets a little too brazen, she needs to take a step back, just like cheryl knows that when toni gives her a tap on the ass and a raised eyebrow, she’s stepping into that dominant roll a little more than she might be prepared for.

 

but right now? she feels playful, not dominant.

 

as much as she enjoys controlling cheryl’s pleasure, right now, she wants to just enjoy her girlfriend and her company.

 

“you’re not playing fair, t.t.” cheryl grumbles, knowing immediately the kind of mood toni is in. they can read each other so well now it’s ridiculous. toni simply shrugs, and cheryl relaxes into the bed, her hands still gripping tightly to the headboard as toni moves down her body with gentle kisses that slowly become more needy, more harsh, causing cheryl to wriggle beneath her in anticipation. 

 

toni nips at the curve of her breast before she’s swirling her tongue and encasing her lips around a nipple, tugging slightly on it with her teeth and causing cheryl to inhale sharply before she releases it with a slow but loud pop, grinning up at the girl who stares down at her with a low whine.

 

“i wanna touch you…” she pouts, batting her eyelashes and pouting harder when toni shakes her head with a playful grin.

 

“nuh uh. headboard. keep them there or you’re gonna be squirming all throughout graduation week and reggie’s party on friday night, i’ll make sure of it.” toni says firmly, making sure that despite the playful manner of their current interaction, cheryl knows the threat is legitimate. 

 

the red haired girl sighs, but sinks back against the pillow with a nod as toni makes her way down her ribs with gentle kisses, her hands trailing up and down cheryl’s inner thighs and causing the girl to jump at the sudden contact, her body trembling as she licks her lips and looks at toni pleadingly.

 

“toni…” she whispers breathily, the pink haired girl fighting back a shiver at the sound as she looks up at her flushed cheeks and wide eyes with nothing but lust. 

 

god, she loves when cheryl is like this…so needy…so _desperate_ for release…

 

“shh, we go at my pace.” toni says hoarsely. 

 

“b-but the things we have to do today-.”

 

“can wait. back against the mattress.” toni reiterates. cheryl whines, but does as she’s told, and toni grins at the skin of her hipbones before she nips at them playfully, snaking her tongue out to lick around the curve of it, alternating between hard and rough as she licks across the hem of where her pantyline would be…if she was wearing any.

 

“you better be prepared to spend the afternoon rushing around, cher-bear. your back isn’t leaving that mattress until the sun’s up high in the sky.”

 

the low groan that leaves cheryl’s lips turns into a high pitched whine when toni finally ducks her head down and flattens her tongue to lick up through slick folds, a shiver running up her spine at the way cheryl bucks into her mouth so desperately. she grins despite herself, pushes cheryl back down onto the bed and begins her task at hand.

 

and god, how fucking lucky is she, that her job in this world, in this _life_ , is to pleasure cheryl fucking blossom until she sees stars, until her back arches off the mattress, until she’s chanting toni’s name in prayer…

 

the thought itself has toni moaning against her, the vibrations making cheryl whimper with need, but she keeps cheryl on the edge until her arousal is practically coating toni’s chin and lips, until cheryl’s a sweaty mess and her cries of frustration are muffled into the pillow, and toni doesn’t let up for a single second, coos at her softly to be patient, because despite the eight months they’ve been together, they’re _still learning._

 

cheryl is needy, impatient, clingy and tends to be an emotional wreck. toni is affectionate, a little demanding and tends to fly off the handle sometimes, especially when someone does something to piss her or her girl off.

 

cheryl’s the kind of girl to crush you under her six inch louboutin’s if you so much look at her wrong before she runs to the girl’s bathroom to cry in one of the stalls so no one can see her weak and defeated. toni’s the kind of girl to punch you in the face with tears in her eyes no matter what emotion she’s feeling to make sure _you feel_ what she’s feeling, so you know what you’ve done is wrong.

 

somehow, crazily…they work together well. they’re _compatible._

 

“toni, p-please-.”

 

the arousal that shoots up her entire body at the sound of cheryl sounding so fucking desperate for release has toni growling under her breath before she’s hooking cheryl’s ankles over her shoulders and practically bending her knees up to her goddamn ears, this squeal of surprise escaping the girl beneath her that’s quickly silenced by toni’s lips crashing against hers before she’s inserting two fingers straight into slick heat. 

 

“you wanna come so badly?” she breathes straight into cheryl’s ear, using her hips to thrust her fingers in deeper as cheryl grips the headboard so goddamn tight, her fingers are turning red, her head thrown back and these heavy gasps escaping her as toni uses her free hand to reach up and curl around one of cheryl’s wrapped around the pole of the headboard. 

 

“y-yes! god, yes, toni-.”

 

cheryl’s words are completely cut off when toni brings her thumb up to brush over cheryl’s clit, and her back snaps up off the bed as a broken cry escapes her lips, her eyes squeezed shut and her body trembling against toni’s as she slows her thrusts down and presses kisses up and down her jawline tenderly, trying not to moan at the feeling of cheryl clenching around her fingers greedily.

 

she waits until cheryl’s completely relaxed back onto the bed, her whole body still shaking and her breath heavy, but this blissful smile taking over her face as toni finally places her legs back onto the bed slowly from around her shoulders, cheryl groaning loudly at the stretch after the muscles being pulled taut for several minutes. toni slowly pulls her fingers out, wincing when cheryl sighs shakily in pain before she leans up to press a kiss to toni’s lips quickly.

 

“jesus, toni…that was-.”

 

“amazing? fuck yeah…we gotta do that again.” toni says with a furious nod, grinning when cheryl laughs before she finally uncurls her hands from around the pole with a wince. toni immediately lifts one of her hands up to her mouth, pressing gentle kisses to them with a soft smile as cheryl hums softly at the feeling. 

 

“later. right now…shower and then we start the day.”

 

“hmm…can i join you in the shower?” toni asks, waggling her eyebrows, and cheryl simply raises one of her own before she’s bringing her hand down over toni’s backside in reprimand, causing her to growl playfully.

 

“of course you can. don’t think you’re leaving this trailer without payback.” 

 

\-----------------

 

“reggie mantle truly is an oaf.”

 

cheryl blossom murmurs the words with a less than enthused grumble, but they’re not any less false as she shakes her head and drinks from the red plastic cup in her hands, the contents within the cup instantly burning her throat as it slides down it, vodka mixed with some kind of soda, and the lilting chuckle she hears beside her causes her red stained lips to lift in a small smile as she watches reggie grip the edges of the keg stand a few feet away from her amongst an amalgamation of cheers from his fellow bulldogs. 

 

“well, babe, it is our graduation party, i wouldn’t expect anything less from him.” 

 

toni topaz’s voice is soft in her ear, but it still sends a shiver up her spine the second the rasp of her timbre hits her, her perfect white teeth clutching her bottom lip as she turns to watch her girlfriend, who has eyes only for reggie mantle and the way he’s haphazardly lifting himself upside down onto the keg stand with archie andrews behind him lifting his legs as chuck clayton grabs the nozzle of the keg and shoves it into reggie’s mouth before squeezing it to send the sprays of beer flying as reggie does his best to drink it down.

 

toni rolls her eyes and shakes her head before she’s adjusting herself on the couch they’re sitting on, pulling cheryl’s legs closer over her lap and wrapping her arms around her waist, one hand lifting to brush back the red curls to expose cheryl’s neck, the other running over the black leather collar wrapped around a pale throat before glossed lips are pressing sticky, but gentle kisses to the alabaster skin beneath it. cheryl tries her best not to groan at the feeling and instead pulls back and watches her with an arched eyebrow.

 

“mmm, not that i’m complaining, but what’s with the sudden affection, t.t.?” she breathes, inhaling sharply when toni’s nails dig into her lower back slightly, teeth scraping against her skin before she pulls back with her messily glossed lips pursed.

 

“reggie gets bold when he’s drunk, and i just wanted to remind him who you belong to.” she grumbles, her eyes moving over to the now swaying bulldog who burps loudly as he rights himself up with a wide grin, holding his arms up and welcoming the cheers and praise from his peers. cheryl watches as he makes eye contact with them, winking once at her, and she rolls her eyes, but can’t help how her heart begins to race when toni growls under her breath lightly.

 

“toni, you know that’s literally never going to happen-.”

 

“doesn’t mean he won’t stop trying! fucking sleazebag, look at him-oh, you better not be coming over here, mantle…” toni’s words trail off, and before cheryl can turn around, a deep voice rumbles close to her ear, the smell of cheap beer invading her sense and almost making her gag as reggie looks between the both of them with the sleaziest, drunkest goddamn look on his face.

 

“ladies…enjoying the party?” he hiccups. toni gives him the tightest smile cheryl’s ever seen, her nails digging even harder into cheryl’s skin in her anger.

 

“we were until you walked over here. keep moving, mantle.” she grunts, pulling cheryl into her lap further as the boy chuckles and straightens up, crossing his arms over his chest with a raised eyebrow.

 

“come on, topaz, don’t tell me you haven’t daydreamed of being stuck in a blossom-mantle sandwich?” he drawls, waggling his eyebrows and winking at cheryl once more, and this time, cheryl _actually feels bile rise in the back of her throat_ , swallows it down as she turns her face up in disgust while toni rolls her eyes.

 

“nope, only in _your_ dreams, reggie.”

 

“oh, you know it, sweetheart, you’re both in the starring roles every night, babe.” reggie grins, full white teeth on display, and cheryl clenches her jaw, is about to stand up and slap that goddamn smug look off his face before toni hooks her arm under cheryl’s legs and lifts her up off the couch, the both of them standing at the same time. toni interlaces her fingers with cheryl’s and drags her out of the living room, through the swarm of bodies, passing josie and sweet pea kissing against the wall of the staircase, past archie and veronica loved up on the couch and betty and jughead talking in the kitchen, and out into the backyard, ignoring reggie’s catcalls as the door slams shut behind them and they collapse onto the stairs, toni sighing loudly and reaching into her jacket pocket for her cigarettes.

 

cheryl smiles despite herself, because _god_ , does she love it when toni gets jealous. toni’s completely aware that the chances are higher of pigs flying than cheryl ever having anything with reggie mantle or _any_ man in general, but it doesn’t stop her girlfriend from getting mad when guys like reggie mantle shoot their shot anyway. it amuses cheryl, whereas all it does is piss toni off.

 

which is hilarious, as far as cheryl is concerned, because truth be told, she really thought _she_ would be the jealous one in the relationship. toni was so laid back and chilled out all the time, or at least she was around her friends and peers, for _her_ to be the jealous one…

 

toni lights the cigarette up before puffing out the smoke through her nose, shaking her head and scoffing in disbelief, and cheryl rolls her eyes and scoots closer to her, gripping her free hand and interlacing their fingers before she rests her head on toni’s shoulder.

 

“toni…”

 

“he’s a dick. seriously, he’s lucky i didn’t punch him in the face! ‘you’re both in starring roles every night, babe’, what the fuck was that?! does he think that _works_? i swear he’s got nothing but air between his ears!” toni growls, puffing more smoke as cheryl bites back a laugh at her impression of reggie and reaches over, taking the cigarette from between her fingers to take her own drag from the little stick of death.

 

“the sad thing is, it probably _does_ work on some girls. but my point is, it doesn’t work on _your_ girl, toni, and you know that. so why are you so upset?” cheryl asks, nudging her shoulder with her own and watching as toni bites down on her bottom lip before she looks up at cheryl with this look that cheryl can’t explain.

 

“it’s not about jealousy. they don’t respect me, cheryl. if it was archie dating you, do you think reggie would flirt with you at all? no, because archie is a boy, and you don’t fuck with another man’s girl, right? but, what, because i’m a girl, too, they don’t need to show the same kind of respect? they get to sit there and make comments at us, it’s disgusting and it pisses me off! i just…” toni takes a drag and shakes her head, scratching at her brow before she looks at cheryl, her expression softening as she reaches her free hand out to brush her fingers over the collar around cheryl’s throat with a smile.

 

“i want them to respect me enough not to fuck with _my_ girl.” toni says firmly, clenching her jaw and tucking a finger into the leather of the collar, tugging on it slightly and causing cheryl to lean forward closer with a slightly loud gulp, arousal quickly shooting through her body like it always does whenever toni tugs on that goddamn collar around her throat…

 

the goddamn collar that started out as a way for cheryl to center and ground herself, to keep her mind intact after all the horrors she’d suffered.

 

the collar that now acts purely to mark her as toni’s and toni’s only.

 

it’s something that still sends a shiver up cheryl’s spine every time she thinks about it. she and toni have been together now for over eight months, and every single second since their christmas break has been _magical._

 

now, they’ve graduated high school, and cheryl doesn’t mind if they have to wait a few years to go to college, and neither does toni. they’ll save every penny they have to, they’re more than determined to make it on their own. cheryl’s not going to go crawling back to her mother for money to go to college, and she and toni have been working double time now that they don’t have school at the whyte wyrm and pop’s diner respectively. all they pay for is groceries and their bills.

 

cheryl never, ever thought that living as a middle class person, living day by day would be what her life would become, but despite the rich upbringing she’s had, cheryl _loves it._

 

because working for her money is so goddamn rewarding, she can’t believe she ever used to live a spoiled, lavish lifestyle. it seems like a different lifetime completely, so different and so…goddamn _vapid_. she can’t believe she ever lived that way. 

 

because she has toni. and that’s all she could ever ask for. 

 

alice cooper, hermione lodge and sierra mccoy had offered to pay for her to go to college, but cheryl didn’t want it. either she makes it on her own, or she doesn’t at all. and even though she knows all three women would never hold it over her head, cheryl doesn’t want them to have that sway over her.

 

she’s in control of her life for once, and she’s not going to let that go so easily.

 

well, in control in _most_ aspects of her life…

 

toni’s fingers brush over her jawline tenderly, her own jaw clenching once more as cheryl smiles and simply brushes her lips over toni’s lightly, a smile ghosting on the serpent girl’s lips at her touch before she pulls back and nuzzles her nose against toni’s affectionately.

 

“i think…i like this jealous side of you.” cheryl breathes, licking her lips and watching as toni chuckles before she flicks her cigarette butt across the backyard and shuffles a little closer, her booted foot sliding up cheryl’s bare calf muscle while her fingers fiddle with the hem of her tight black skirt, humming softly as she does.

 

“mmm, you like that? me getting all jealous and territorial over you?” toni murmurs, leaning in to brush her lips over cheryl’s pulse point before she’s dragging them upwards, teeth nipping at cheryl’s earlobe and causing her to shiver involuntarily.

 

“you th-think i still wear this collar just for fun?” cheryl manages to sigh breathily, fingers grasping the leather of toni’s serpent jacket tightly as toni’s fingers move under her dress to brush over the heated skin of her inner thighs.

 

“kinky, miss blossom.” toni teases, cheryl biting back a whine and digging her nails into her thigh to physically stop herself from squeezing her thighs to trap toni’s hand and stop it from going any higher. 

 

“eight months in and you’re still surprised by that?” cheryl laughs breathlessly, inhaling sharply when toni moves her hands up just that little bit more-

 

“you’re always surprising me, cher-bear. it’s part of the reason why i love you.” toni says softly, and cheryl pulls back with her heart racing and aching with affection, her teeth biting down on her red stained bottom lip to stop herself from attacking the girl before her, especially when toni’s fingers brush across the hem of panties-

 

“there’s a house full of our peers behind us, t.t.” cheryl says shakily, reaching out to grip her wrist and pull it out from under her dress, but toni gives her a simple, stern look that has her removing her fingers from around toni’s waist, her heart pounding against her ribcage almost painfully while toni continues stroking her inner thighs happily, completely aware of the affect it’s having on her girlfriend.

 

“then maybe we should take it somewhere private?” toni says in a low voice, smiling as cheryl jerks slightly when toni’s fingers brush just a little closer to the heat pounding through her core when suddenly…

 

“somewhere private like…reggie mantle’s room?” she says with a grin, watching gleefully as cheryl’s eyes widen in complete and utter shock.

 

what the _fuck_ is she thinking?!

 

“are you crazy?! i-.”

 

“eight months in and you’re still surprised by that?” toni echoes her words from earlier, her grin only widening before she’s interlacing her fingers with cheryl’s, pulling her up off the stairs and leading her back into the house, cheryl gliding along behind her with her bottom lip clutched between her teeth.

 

“toni, if he c-catches us-.”

 

“he’ll know not to fuck with what’s _mine._ ” toni growls in a low voice, dragging her through the door as cheryl helplessly tags along.

 

she can see reggie talking to ginger and tina from the corner of her eye, and toni sneakily brushes past him and makes her way to the staircase, still pulling cheryl along as the red haired girl contemplates just what they’re about to do right now.

 

“t-toni-.”

 

“cher-bear, come on, _i know you._ as if this isn’t totally exciting you.” toni chuckles, leading her up the stairs with cheryl letting out a low whine at the idea of where they’re heading.

 

okay…okay, fuck, _yes_ , the idea of getting revenge on reggie mantle by fucking her beautiful girlfriend in his bed for all the years he’s tried to force his charm on her is definitely a turn on, but _god_ , everyone is here, what if someone else walks in on them-

 

before she can think about it, toni’s peeking her head through a door before making a noise of triumph, the sound of the bass booming from the music downstairs hitting their ears still before toni grins and pulls cheryl through the door, slamming it shut behind them.

 

“toni-.”

 

she’s silenced by the feeling of soft lips crushing against hers, teeth nipping at her bottom lip as warm fingers dance up and down her sides over the thin fabric of her dress, gripping the material before she’s trailing those talented fingers down to the hem of cheryl’s dress and pulling it up and off her body.

 

and fuck it, cheryl can’t find it in her to even come up with a counter argument anymore.

 

she kisses toni back desperately, moaning loudly against her as she practically rips toni’s serpent jacket off her body before toni drops her dress by the foot of the door and curls her hands under her thighs to lift her up into her arms, cheryl’s legs instinctively wrapping around her waist as her fingers tangle into pink highlighted hair.

 

toni leads them over to the bed, plops cheryl down on top of it, the smell of some cheap man’s body spray invading her senses, but toni doesn’t give her a chance to acknowledge it, barely gives her a second to breathe before she’s attacking her neck with feverish kisses and bites, nipping at the pale skin as her fingers curl into the collar to tug on it, chuckling at each whimper it pulls from cheryl’s throat as she bucks her hips up against toni hurriedly, desperate for some form of friction-

 

“we h-have to make this q-quick, toni- _fuck…_ ” cheryl’s eyes roll in the back of her head at a particularly harsh bite to her collarbone before toni’s chuckling against her skin and looking up at her with a cocked eyebrow in amusement.

 

“why? i plan on taking my time.” 

 

“t-toni, you c-can’t seriously _want_ to be caught?” cheryl asks incredulously, biting down on her bottom lip to stop a loud groan when toni grips the strap of her bra and pulls it down her shoulder, the cup moving down with it and exposing her breast to the cool breeze that comes in through the window. 

 

“oh, i want you to be as loud as possible, cher-bear. don’t worry…” toni jumps up from the bed, prompting cheryl to whine from the loss of her body warmth as she props herself up onto her elbows and watches toni make her way over to the door, where she grabs reggie’s desk chair by his computer and shoves it under the doorknob to stop anyone from getting in.

 

“now there’s no chance of someone interrupting us.” she says with a devilish grin, causing cheryl to laugh breathlessly before she curls a finger to beckon toni forward.

 

“oh, so someone’s on board with this idea now, huh?” toni laughs, skipping her way back towards cheryl and all but collapsing on top of her, the both of them breaking out into giggles as toni straddles her waist and pushes her down onto the bed by her shoulders, kissing her deeply as she does.

 

“mmm, if no one can get in, then yeah…but i’m not gonna be loud.” she breathes, grinning as toni wraps her lips around her exposed breast, pulling a soft whine from the redhead pinned beneath her. 

 

“we’ll see about that, baby…” toni rasps out, humming against the curve of her breast, and before cheryl can say anything, toni’s lifting the band of her panties and moving her hand beneath it, fingers moving against her clit and causing her back to arch up into toni’s touch with her bottom lip caught between her teeth to stop herself from crying out. 

 

but of course…of fucking course, toni plays her game well.

 

after a few minutes of building cheryl up until her hips are bucking up into toni’s hand with these soft mewls escaping her lips, toni pulls back with a malicious grin etched on her face before she begins to slow her pace down, cheryl’s eyes widening as she looks up at her girlfriend before she chokes out a whine and shakes her head.

 

“t-toni, no, d-don’t do that! don’t-.”

 

“make some noise then, baby. i told you i wanna hear you.” toni whispers, nipping at her earlobe and grinning when cheryl squeezes her eyes shut to stop herself from screaming.

 

“i…toni, _everyone’s_ downstairs-.”

 

“come on, cher, you think they don’t know we have a very active sex life? besides, the only person i want to hear it is reggie.” 

 

cheryl rolls her eyes before she glares up at toni with bared teeth.

 

“god, i can’t believe you’re comparing _dick size_ with reggie fucking mantle right now!” she hisses, fighting back a scoff when toni looks at her with wide eyes in shock.

 

“cher…i know we use the strap a lot, but you’ve seen what’s between my pants, it’s definitely not a dick-.”

 

“it’s a figure of speech!” cheryl growls, her angered tone quickly turning into a whine of despair when toni begins to lift her hand up out of her underwear, but cheryl grips her wrist and stops her from moving it anywhere.

 

“don’t you dare!” she spits, and toni’s ear splitting grin is _maddening._

 

“you gonna make some noise for me then?” toni says wickedly, grinning even more widely when cheryl bites down on her bottom lip before she nods furiously, desperate to rid herself of the ache between her legs more than _anything._

 

fuck, she’ll scream at this point if that’s what toni wants-

 

“ _god,_ yes, yes, i’ll do whatever you want, please-.” 

 

toni laughs, presses a quick kiss to cheryl’s lips before she’s moving her way down cheryl’s body with bruising kisses, teeth nipping and nails scratching at her skin until cheryl’s letting out these breathy moans that only get louder and louder the further down she gets. toni sinks down over the end of reggie’s bed before she hooks cheryl’s legs over her shoulder, biting down on the skin of her inner thigh and leaving cheryl trembling before she tugs cheryl further down the bed.

 

“fuck, toni, h-hurry, please!” cheryl begs, not even caring at this point anymore if someone hears her, she just needs to come so fucking badly-

 

toni, despite loving the complete and utter desperation in cheryl’s voice, decides to obey, hooks her finger into cheryl’s underwear to pull it to the side before she’s diving straight into slick heat.

 

the lust filled moan that escapes cheryl’s lips practically bounces off the goddamn walls, and toni swears she hears the music falter downstairs, but she focuses instead on the way cheryl’s body writhes beneath her tongue as she curls it upwards, flicking it across the soaked bundle of nerves before she closes her lips around it.

 

“t-toni, _god_ , don’t st-stop! don’t stop, don’t stop, _don’t stop-_.”

 

oh yeah…the music downstairs has definitely halted. toni grins widely before she sinks two fingers straight into cheryl’s center, a groan of her own escaping her when she feels her clench around those two digits greedily. 

 

the second she curls her fingers up, hitting her g-spot, cheryl’s moans turn into cries of pleasure, her hips bucking into toni’s face desperately, and toni can hear the sound of booming footsteps rushing up the stairs just as cheryl pushes herself down onto toni’s fingers with an almost crazed squeal.

 

“i’m so close! i’m so c-close, toni-.”

 

“hey! who’s fucking in my room?!” reggie’s voice roars on the opposite side of the door, his fist pounding on it before the doorknob rattles, and toni grins before she pulls away for just a second, her fingers still thrusting into cheryl at a breakneck pace.

 

“sorry, mantle! ocupado!” toni yells, laughing as the doorknob rattles again before reggie’s growl of frustration echoes out, and cheryl pushes herself up onto her elbows before she’s tangling one of her hands into toni’s hair and pulling her face back down to her center.

 

“FUCK OFF, REGGIE!” cheryl screams at the top of her lungs, and toni’s stomach is fucking _hurting_ as she tries to hold in her laughter before she obeys her girlfriend and works her tongue faster to drive cheryl headfirst into her orgasm.

 

the sound of the music booming echoes out once more, louder than before as cheryl’s whole body arches off the bed, the most obscene and loudest moans toni’s ever heard from her before leaving her lips and causing a shiver to run up toni’s spine as both of cheryl’s hands tangle in her hair, nails digging into her scalp and causing her to wince involuntarily from the pain as she brings cheryl down from her high slowly.

 

almost a full minute passes before cheryl flops back down onto the bed, panting heavily as toni slowly removes her fingers and watches cheryl clench around nothing, a whine escaping her from the loss. toni grins and slowly pushes herself up off the ground, makes her way over to the door and pushes the chair out of the way, cracks it open as she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand to find reggie mantle glaring at her with a clenched jaw.

 

“have i proved my point yet? or do i need to rent your room out for the night?” toni pants out, cheeks flushed and lips tingling as she purses them and watches reggie’s expression turn sour before he bares his teeth, and when toni clears her throat and bends down to pick up her serpent jacket from the ground, the head of the green snake peeks out through the door.

 

reggie’s eyes flash down to it, and toni watches the hint of fear flash in his eyes before he purses his lips and nods.

 

“noted, topaz. sorry i hit on your girl. won’t happen again.” he deadpans, and toni’s about to reply when she feels gentle, cold fingers interlace with her own before the door is thrown open.

 

she looks beside her to see cheryl fully dressed once more, her lipstick a mess and her hair equally so as she exhales shakily and looks at reggie with a wide, toothy grin.

 

“good! as fantastic as that was, i’d rather not have to prove her point again! come on, t.t. i’m famished and in need of a cigarette after that.”

 

and with that, cheryl drags toni out of reggie’s room, the boy watching them leave in complete and utter shock as toni’s the one helplessly dragged along now, staring at the girl before her with nothing but awe as cheryl grins triumphantly.

 

because toni might control her in the bedroom, but when it came to everything else?

 

yeah…cheryl’s the one in control.

 

\----------

 

“stop! toni!”

 

cheryl dissolves into a mess of giggles as toni continues to poke and prod her sides, gentle lips pressing kisses up the column of her jaw and over her cheek with sticky gloss making its mark on alabaster skin until the redhead finally finds the power within herself to push her back with a breathless pant.

 

“stop! i only have ten minutes of my break left and i wanna actually enjoy my time with you, not spend it in a fit of hysteria!” she growls lightly, tears of mirth quickly wiped away as toni grins widely before she presses a quick kiss to her lips and grabs a french fry from the basket in front of her. 

 

“we could always go to the bathroom to enjoy that time together?” toni says, waggling her eyebrows wickedly and laughing when cheryl rolls her eyes and scoffs.

 

“nuh uh. you’re still on probation from reggie’s party.” she says simply.

 

“baaaaaabe! come on, that was over two weeks ago and you’ve barely let me touch you!” toni whines, her hands quickly finding purchase on cheryl’s waist again before her hands are slapped away by her girlfriend. cheryl fixes a stern gaze on the pink haired serpent as the latter pouts at her sadly. 

 

“no one at that party has been able to look at me the same since then! veronica blushes every time i even say ‘hi’ to her, and betty mumbles something about wishing she never heard her cousin in ‘that way’. you’re on probation until i say you’re off it.” she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest with finality as toni watches on in despair.

 

because yes, she might be the dominant in the relationship, but there’s no way in hell toni will ever overstep any boundaries and demand sex from cheryl. and besides, her dashing girlfriend has a point: she kind of did humiliate cheryl in front of their entire class without intending to. she just wanted to prove a damn point, sue her. and it’s not like it didn’t pay off…reggie hasn’t spoken a word to them in two weeks, granted, they only see him around pop’s now that they don’t have to see him in the hallways of riverdale high anymore, but still. 

 

she doesn’t have to hear any more comments about starring in some teenage boy’s wet dreams, it was totally worth it as far as she’s concerned.

 

but two weeks without cheryl’s body…god, it’s driving her _crazy._

 

“cher-bear…i’ve said it a hundred times, and every single time i’ve meant it. i’m _so_ sorry. you know i didn’t mean to embarrass you like that, i was just so sick of reggie always talking shit about us and not respecting our relationship, that’s all. but you’re right, i shouldn’t of done it, and-.”

 

anything else she’s about to say is silenced by ruby red lips crashing against her own, a muffled moan vibrating low in her throat as cheryl inches closer to her until they’re almost squashed against the wall next to the booth. cheryl bites down on her bottom lip, tugging slightly and causing toni to squeeze her eyes shut from the pain before she feels cold fingers fiddle with the lace of her shirt, the button of her jeans popping open-

 

“cher, wh-what are you doing?” toni breathes out, reaching down to grip her hand before it’s slapped away once again and cheryl’s attacking her lips once more. 

 

“getting payback.” cheryl whispers against her lips, silencing her with another kiss before toni feels the zipper of her jeans being pulled down, and before she can even process what’s happening, can beg cheryl not to do what she’s about to do, cheryl’s fingers slip into the waistband of her panties, her cold fingers reaching her clit before she’s immediately moving them against it.

 

toni suppresses a shudder and pulls away from cheryl, their foreheads touching as cheryl licks her lips before she grins widely and quickly glances behind them to make sure no one’s watching.

 

pop’s diner is quite empty, it is late at night after all, but there’s a few people here and there, and toni can already feel her cheeks flushing, because the way cheryl’s moving against her, holy shit-

 

“you gonna make some noise for me, kitten?” cheryl purrs into her ear, biting down on her earlobe and tugging on it as toni’s eyes roll into the back of her head and her teeth clamp down on her bottom lip to stop herself from screaming.

 

oh, she’s so not giving in, no way-

 

“you’re…such a b-brat- _fuck-_.”

 

toni’s head falls back against the booth, neck muscles pulled taut as she bites back a whimper and squeezes her eyes shut when cheryl’s fingers dip a little lower, slightly constricted by her jeans, but god, it’s making the friction _rougher-_

 

“mmm, five minutes left of my break, t.t…you sure you wanna end it on a low…or a very, _very_ happy high?” cheryl murmurs, her forehead slamming down against toni’s forehead as the serpent gasps and reaches out to grip the table in front of her with tight knuckles, her mouth dropping open before she can stop it. 

 

“ch-cheryl-.”

 

“one little sound…come on, t.t.” she whispers, quickly glancing around once more before she begins moving her fingers faster-

 

_oh god, oh god, oh god-_

 

the tension is building in toni’s stomach like a goddamn coil, her thighs clenching and her body squirming against the booth as cheryl chuckles into her ear, lips tickling at her jawline and causing toni to whine lowly-

 

“i… _fuck_ , okay…okay, if i d-do this…is my probation lifted?” toni manages to gasp out, her hand moving down from the table to squeeze cheryl’s thigh, nails digging and causing cheryl’s breath to hitch before she hums into her ear and nods against the side of her head, nuzzling into it affectionately.

 

“maybe…if you make enough noise.” she says simply. toni whimpers, and she swallows the lump in her throat before she licks her lips and nods against the back of the booth, and when cheryl presses down even harder against her clit, the sound escapes her before she can even stop it.

 

“ _fuck, oh my god!_.”

 

toni’s whine of pleasure echoes out across the diner, and cheryl chokes on laughter before she quickly glances around to see a couple a few tables away glance over at them in surprise-

 

“choked on a fry. she’s fine!” she calls out, and the couple simply frowns and turns back to each other as toni bucks her hips up against cheryl’s hand-

 

the warmth of her hand suddenly pulls up and out of the waistband of her panties, causing toni’s eyes to fly open in shock before she looks at cheryl to see her grinning widely as she grabs a napkin from the table and wipes her hand on it, grabbing a french fry afterwards and shoving it into her mouth before she slides out of the booth.

 

“break’s over. sorry, t.t.” 

 

before toni can even say or do anything, cheryl’s walking back towards the counter where pop is waiting for her, a smile on his face as she comes closer, and toni squeezes her legs in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing between them as she watches cheryl leave in despair.

 

okay…maybe she deserved that.

 

doesn’t mean cheryl isn’t gonna fucking _get it_ once her shift is over. 

 

toni sits there, waits impatiently for the next hour to finish, can feel her body getting hotter and hotter with anger as each minute ticks by painfully slow. 

 

oh, she’s got plans once they get back to that fucking trailer they live in. cheryl’s so gonna-

 

oh.

 

cheryl makes her way over to her girlfriend with a milkshake in her hands, and fucking god damn it, the _softest_ smile on her face, toni’s jaw clenched and her arms crossed over her chest as cheryl places it down in front of her and leans over to press a kiss to her temple.

 

“i’m sorry, baby…complimentary milkshake. just another half an hour, t.t. then i promise…whatever you wanna do, we’ll do.”

 

toni feels her entire body just… _sink_ into the booth, this affection she’s never felt before flooding her whole body as she looks up at cheryl with pursed lips before she sighs and reaches out to grip her hand, interlacing their fingers as she does.

 

god, she loves her…even when she tries to get payback for something that toni definitely fucked up on, she still does her best to please her girlfriend, it just…god, it just makes toni love her even _more._

 

_if i could give you the entire goddamn universe, cheryl blossom, i swear to god…_

 

she’d pluck every star out of existence for this fucking girl if she could.

 

she reaches her other hand up to tuck a finger into cheryl’s collar and gently tugs on it to bring her down to her lips, kissing her softly and smiling when cheryl whines against her before she pulls away and nuzzles her nose against cheryl’s tenderly.

 

“i deserved it, cher-bear. it’s okay…but i’m taking you up on that offer.” she whispers. cheryl bites down on her bottom lip to hide her grin before she quickly pecks her lips and pulls away, making her way over to the booth at the back of the diner where a few customers are sitting. 

 

the next half hour passes by, and the second cheryl clocks out, toni jumps up from her booth and grabs cheryl’s hand, waving a quick goodbye to pop tate, who shakes his head at them with a chuckle as toni drags cheryl straight to her bike in the parking lot.

 

cheryl doesn’t say a single thing, just follows along with a doped out smile as she ponders just how she got so lucky to have toni topaz in her life. the girl who spends every shift of cheryl’s where she’s not working at the bar or busy with serpent business at pop’s diner, waiting for her to finish…

 

she actually hadn’t anticipated building toni up in the goddamn booth of pop’s diner, but hey, she wanted payback and she’s still a little salty about what happened at reggie’s party. she wasn’t lying when she said veronica hasn’t been able to look her in the eye for over two weeks. the only one who seems to be unbothered by the whole thing is josie, the girl laughing every time she sees cheryl and smirking at her with amusement when she sees toni with her. 

 

she has no idea what’s waiting for her when they get back to the trailer, but honestly, whatever it is, she’s down for. the last two weeks haven’t been torture for toni only, but she wanted to make her point, and she has. 

 

time to end this prolonged suffering.

 

to say toni drives them back to the trailer like a madwoman on a mission is a goddamn understatement. cheryl grips tight to her waist the entire time, fearing for her life a few times when the tires skid and cause dirt and gravel to fly everywhere from how sharply toni makes her turns until they’re pulling into the trailer park with sweet pea and fangs sitting by the bonfire, both boys looking up in surprise at how fast toni speeds past them until they reach her trailer.

 

as soon as the engine is turned off, toni’s jumping off the bike and grabbing cheryl’s hand, dragging her straight to the door and shoving the keys in before she throws the door open and pulls cheryl inside.

 

“go to the bedroom, get the strap, this last hour has been worse torture than the last two weeks.” toni groans, and cheryl doesn’t even let her finish her sentence before she’s running straight to the bedroom, giggling as toni chases after her with a laugh of her own. 

 

cheryl quickly unbuttons her uniform, sliding it off her shoulders and letting it pool to the floor before she reaches for the dresser to grab the harness and the toy. she’s barely slipped it on before toni’s walking into the room with her shirt and jeans already off and two bottles of water in her hand.

 

“how do you want me?” cheryl asks, and toni grins widely before she sets the bottles down on the bedside table and makes her way over to the redhead, gripping her face in her hands and pressing a slow, soft kiss to her lips.

 

“you run the show tonight, cher-bear. whatever you want…as payback for me being an ass at reggie’s party.” cheryl blinks at her in surprise, and despite the golden opportunity she’s being given right now to do whatever she wants to toni, she finds…she doesn’t want that.

 

“i got my payback at pop’s, baby. and you know i like it when you run the show…” cheryl murmurs, running her fingers up and down toni’s spine with a delicate smile that has the pink haired serpent’s expression softening. she smiles and presses another slow kiss to cheryl’s lips before she’s taking her hands and walking backwards to the bed, pulling cheryl closer and closer as she does. 

 

“i hope you know what you’re in for, then.” she mumbles, and before cheryl can contemplate those words, toni’s spinning them around and pushing her down onto the bed, pushing her back towards the headboard and straddling her waist almost immediately.

 

“let’s make this fun.” toni says simply, leaning to the right and opening one of the drawers on the dresser to pull out a pair of handcuffs that immediately have cheryl looking up at her in shock.

 

“i…wait, are you serious?” she manages to choke out, watching as toni bites down on her bottom lip to stop a wicked grin from forming, nodding as she grabs one of cheryl’s hands that’s gripping her waist and moves it up to the headboard with a soft hum. 

 

“yeah. unless…you don’t want to-.”

 

“no, no, it’s…your show, toni. you do whatever you want to me.” cheryl says, swallowing thickly from anticipation as toni clicks the handcuff shut around one of her wrists now bound to the headboard, and toni sighs loudly before she’s gripping cheryl’s face in her hands and looking into her eyes with a gentle smile.

 

“cher-bear, you know i’ll never, _ever_ do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

 

cheryl chews on her bottom lip and watches her, and she can see how hard toni is trying to read the expression on her face, so she decides to just answer the question on her mind despite how hard her heart is racing.

 

“maybe…maybe i want you to use me however you want…no matter if i like it or not.” 

 

toni comes to a complete and utter still on top of her lap.

 

she looks into cheryl’s eyes with a hint of shock before she’s exhaling shakily and leaning in to kiss her lips softly, pulling back and staring into her eyes once more as her thumbs brush over her cheekbones tenderly.

 

“cheryl…are you sure? that…it’s a lot, i don’t wanna hurt you-.”

 

“i’m sure. i trust you, toni, i trust you with _my life._ i want to try this.” cheryl reassures her, smiling up at her. toni licks her lips before she purses them and nods slowly, staring over cheryl’s face as she grabs her other hand and moves it up to the headboard as well, clicking it shut close to her other wrist as cheryl bends her elbows a little to let her arms drop a little. 

 

“if you wanna stop, at any point, you tell me to stop, you hear me, bombshell?” toni whispers, tucking a finger under her chin and lifting her gaze before she moves her hands behind her back to unclip her bra. cheryl watches her hungrily, swallows the lump quickly rising in her throat before she looks up at toni with her lips parted in desire. 

 

“o-okay.” 

 

toni kisses her once more before she’s jumping off of cheryl’s lap and slowly slides her panties down her legs, letting them pool at her feet before stepping out of them and climbing back over cheryl’s lap. 

 

cheryl has no idea what’s waiting for her, which is a familiar feeling because she never knows what to expect when it comes to sex with toni topaz, but toni’s never pushed any boundaries or done anything that cheryl hasn’t asked for, and fuck, for the life of her, she can’t understand why she’s so intrigued by the idea of toni fully stepping into that dominant role, but she is.

 

she knows toni won’t do anything _unsafe_ , because that’s insane and fucked up, but the idea of toni pushing her as far as she’s willing to go, and maybe even further than that?

 

yeah…it’s a major turn on. 

 

cheryl’s hands strain against the handcuffs when toni’s hands grip her hair, tugging on the red tresses as the soft kiss they’re sharing quickly becomes heated, all teeth and tongue and lips. toni’s teeth sink down on her bottom lip before she tugs on it, cheryl’s eyes fluttering closed at the feeling before toni lets it go, watching it bounce back hypnotically. cheryl opens her eyes once she feels toni’s hands fall on her shoulders, lifting herself up before she’s sinking herself down onto the toy. 

 

she keens, her head falling back with a whine, and cheryl leans in as best she can and presses kisses up and down the column of toni’s throat, the cuffs clinking from how she pulls against them, desperate to get closer before toni begins to rock her hips down, rolling them into cheryl’s with these breathless pants.

 

and cheryl’s helpless to do anything but watch as toni grips either side of her neck and forces her head up to kiss her, thumbs tucked under her chin to push it upwards as she whimpers against her lips with each motion of her body. the cuffs dig into her wrists, and cheryl squeezes her eyes shut as toni gasps for air against her, foreheads pressed together until cheryl trails her kisses down toni’s neck to her collarbones.

 

it’s _killing her_ , not being able to touch toni, and her wrists are aching, but she doesn’t say a word, because she’s enjoying herself too much, and if she says something, she knows toni will stop-

 

she moves her hips up, pushing the toy further into toni and watching with a smile as she moans loudly before she kisses cheryl deeply, whining against her as cheryl moves her hips up once more.

 

“k-keep going, fuck!” toni breathes, sighing shakily as cheryl continues pumping her hips, meeting toni’s thrusts downwards until she’s grabbing cheryl and holding her close, cheryl’s teeth nipping at her neck as her hips go into overdrive.

 

toni digs her nails into cheryl’s shoulders before she’s all but screaming, her thighs clenching on either side of cheryl’s lap as cheryl tugs on the handcuffs, desperate to touch her, but she’s helpless to do anything but watch, look up at toni in complete and utter awe as her mouth drops open and her brow furrows, her screams turning into pants before she sinks forward and against cheryl with a heavy whine.

 

they’re both panting for air as toni relaxes into cheryl after a few moments, breathing heavily against her before she pulls back and grips cheryl’s face into her hands to kiss her deeply. 

 

“good job, baby…” she croaks out, smiling when cheryl does until she hums softly and pulls herself up and off cheryl’s lap, wincing as the toy slides out of her. she unbuckles the harness from around cheryl’s hips before she pulls it down from her body, cheryl bucking her hips up off the bed to allow her to do so, and toni lets it fall to the ground by the bed.

 

“your hands okay?” toni asks softly, straddling cheryl’s lap once more and running her fingers up and down her sides before they’re moving up her arms and under the cuffs to touch the raw skin that’s slightly chaffed. 

 

“they’re fine. do you want to keep them on?” cheryl manages to ask, her throat dry as toni reaches for the bottle of water and takes a quick drink from it. cheryl watches the condensation drip down the bottle with eager eyes, and toni tilts her chin up and pours some water into her mouth, cheryl drinking it with a moan, throat bobbing rapidly until toni pulls the bottle away and watches with a giggle as some of it falls down cheryl’s chin to her neck and chest.

 

“i do. but if they’re hurting you-.”

 

“toni. what _you_ want, remember? push the boundaries, push me to my limit. i’m ready. willing and able.” cheryl tells her firmly, watching as toni bites down on her bottom lip before she nods and leans down, tongue snaking out to gather the drops of water up and off her chest and neck as cheryl sink back against the headboard with a breathy sigh.

 

arousal pounds through her body as toni moves off her lap and grips her thighs, tugging her down until her head falls onto the pillow beneath her and her arms are stretched up over her head by the handcuffs.

 

cheryl bites back a hiss of pain as the metal bites into her skin, and toni settles back over her lap before she leans down to kiss her, her fingers fumbling with the front clasp of cheryl’s bra. she unbuttons in quickly and pulls the fabric back, her lips immediately descending down her neck and collarbones with loving bites and kisses before she wraps her lips around a nipple. cheryl arches up into her touch with a groan, panting as toni snakes a hand underneath her shoulder blades to pull the straps themselves out of the hooks so she can take cheryl’s bra off without taking the cuffs off. 

 

as soon as she gets it off, toni trails her lips back up over her chest and neck before she suddenly runs her thumb over cheryl’s bottom lip, rubbing the red pigment over it before she’s dragging it down her chin. 

 

“god, you have the prettiest lips…” toni whispers, her eyes taking in the sight of the lipstick that stains cheryl’s pale skin with this look of lust cheryl’s never seen before. she leans in, attacking cheryl’s lips with a ferocity she’s never felt before from the girl, and cheryl groans loudly against her as toni’s hands fall over her chest and squeeze harshly-

 

a loud banging sound echoes out from the front of the trailer, and toni frowns and pulls back, looking down at cheryl, who whines and leans up to try and kiss her again before the sound of knocking echoes out even louder-

 

“toni! open the door, it’s an emergency!” jughead’s voice echoes out, sounding urgent and just a little terrified, and toni looks down at cheryl with wide eyes before she leans up and unclips the cuffs, jumping up off cheryl and rushing toward the dresser to grab a robe. 

 

“get dressed, baby. i’ll be back.” toni murmurs, and cheryl bites back a whine as she leans in and presses a quick kiss to her lips before she rushes towards the bedroom door, tying the robe around her waist as cheryl watches her go in despair.

 

she can’t believe they’re being interrupted right now, this is such _bullshit-_

 

cheryl’s been building herself up to asking toni to push the limits for _weeks_ , and now it’s all been ruined by that goddamn boyfriend of her cousin’s…

 

she knows she has no place in chastising or getting mad at jughead, considering the boy has had her back ever since she started living here. when f.p jones, the leader of the serpents, had discovered that cheryl was living here, he had been less than impressed with toni, but jughead had told him that cheryl was in need of a place to stay, and f.p had begrudgingly allowed her to stay. the tension between toni and the other serpents has been thick since then, but cheryl knows whatever is going on right now, toni will obey and do what needs to be done, because the serpents are her family…

 

this has happened before though. twice now since they started dating, and cheryl can’t help the worry that pounds through her, but she prays that this is just a simple talk, and not at all like the last two times that toni’s been called away in the middle of the night for serpent business…

 

cheryl takes her time getting dressed, prays that toni’s in the process of getting rid of jughead so they can get back to what they were doing, but over ten minutes pass, and just as cheryl shrugs on one of toni’s shirts, the girl suddenly comes barging into their bedroom with a look of complete and utter worry on her face.

 

“baby…i’ve gotta go, sweet pea’s gotten himself in trouble with the ghoulies and we’ve gotta bail him out.” she says urgently, whipping the robe off her naked body and rushing around the room to grab new clothes to wear.

 

cheryl’s heart sinks.

 

“is he okay?” cheryl asks with worry, trying not to sound too disgruntled at sweet pea right now for interrupting them. she doesn’t know sweet pea that well, but the boy was there for her in the beginning of her relationship with toni-

 

“i don’t know, he stopped a drug deal with a ghoulie and a northsider and the ghoulies are hunting him down, jughead needs back up to meet with their leader to get him off the hook.”

 

toni’s too busy throwing clothes on to see how cheryl goes still, how she looks at toni with wide eyes filled with fear. the previous two times it was just ghoulies roaming around the southside, toni returning home with a bruise or two and bloody knuckles, but…they’re meeting with the leader of the ghoulies? that doesn’t sound safe…that doesn’t sound safe at all. 

 

toni could be in very serious trouble this time here, cheryl can’t just let her go, but she has no say in any of this. from the beginning of their relationship, cheryl had promised toni that she’d stay out of any and all serpent business, because well, she wasn’t a serpent herself, and toni refused to tell her anything even if she wanted to know…serpent business stayed between serpents.

 

but if she’s putting herself in danger with this…

 

cheryl licks her lips before she jumps up just as toni shrugs on her serpent jacket, pulling her hair out from underneath it and looking at cheryl with a sad sigh.

 

“we’ll pick up where we left off when i come back, baby…i’m sorry-.”

 

“’no, it’s…toni, be careful, please. i can’t lose you.” cheryl whispers, gripping the lapels of her jacket and tugging her forward until their foreheads are resting against each other. toni sighs shakily against her before she leans up to kiss her softly, her hand reaching up to scratch through her hair tenderly before she tucks it behind her ear with a smile.

 

“i’ll be okay. don’t wait up, try and get some sleep, okay? i’ll be back by the morning.” toni murmurs. she goes to move, but cheryl tugs her back for one last kiss, her heart pounding in her chest painfully before she pulls away and looks at toni.

 

“i love you, t.t.” she whispers against her lips.

 

“i love you too, cher-bear.” toni whispers back. 

 

and before cheryl can do anything, toni pulls away from her and makes her way to the door, sparing one last glance back at the redhead with hesitation before she sighs and makes her way out of the trailer. 

 

and cheryl watches on helplessly as the woman she loves, the one thing in her life worth living for, leaves to run headfirst into danger, unable to stop her.

 

_she’s gonna be okay, cheryl…she’s gonna be okay…_

 

\-----------------

 

“what the hell happened, boy!?”

 

f.p jones’s gruff voice echoes out across the trailer park, and before toni or jughead or anyone can do or say anything, f.p grips sweet pea by the lapels of his serpent jacket and shakes him angrily, nostrils flared and anger shining in his eyes-

 

“dad, stop!” jughead steps forward, cuts and bruises all over his face as he tries to pry his father away from sweet pea, who glares down at him in anger with a clenched jaw and a black eye with blood dripping down the side of his face from a cut-

 

“you screw around with the ghoulies and almost start a full blown war over what?! a bag of coke?!” f.p growls, face inches away from sweet pea’s before his father finally manages to drag him away, but toni simply glares at the serpent king in anger as she crosses her arms over her chest before she reaches into her back pocket for her pack of smokes.

 

“can you keep it down?! we’re outside _my_ trailer, and my girl is sleeping in there!” she hisses. f.p scoffs and runs his fingers through his hair as sweet pea straightens out his jacket and simply stares at f.p, waiting for orders on what to do next like an ever obedient soldier-

 

“get home, get cleaned up. you two, come with me.” f.p tells toni before he looks to sweet pea and jughead, and toni clenches her jaw, but doesn’t argue, because she knows there’s no point.

 

f.p is the serpent king, and toni can’t fight him on any of his orders. even if her grandfather was a serpent elder. 

 

she knows this is f.p’s way of punishing her for letting cheryl live on serpent grounds, by keeping her out of the loop. he wasn’t too happy the day he found out cheryl was living in toni’s trailer, not that toni really gives a shit what his opinion is. because at the end of the day, it’s _her_ trailer, and he can’t say anything about who she lets live there.

 

she’s also a serpent descendant, so no matter how pissed off f.p gets at her, he can’t do anything to stop her.

 

it has her smiling smugly as jughead looks to her with a frown and a cocked eyebrow, and she simply shrugs as she lights up her cigarette and takes a drag, gives sweet pea a sympathetic smile as the boy sighs and follows the serpent leader and his son to their trailer while toni turns and makes her way towards her own. 

 

the smoke in her lungs make it’s even harder to breathe, but she finds herself relaxing as soon as the tobacco invades her senses, the addiction being nourished helping to ease her mind as she limps her way towards her home…towards her girl.

 

she’s so…god, she’s so fucking tired of all of this. she wishes she could just pack her bags, take cheryl’s hand and get the hell out of riverdale altogether, but the serpents are not just her family, they’re her _legacy._ she can’t just leave them behind…

 

but she can’t keep doing this to cheryl, either. this has happened three times now, and each time she’s come back home with bruised knuckles and a bloody lip, cheryl’s been almost hysteric with panic. god, her mind is so fucked right now…

 

toni limps her way up the steps of her trailer with a sigh, wincing as she reaches for her keys in the pocket of her jeans with a quick shake of her head before she tosses her cigarette and blows the last of the smoke from her lungs.

 

god, that was bad…it was really bad, toni can’t believe they even got out of that one alive. malachai wasn’t just looking for blood, he was looking to end their _lives_ …she still doesn’t know how the hell they got out of that with nothing more than a few cuts and bruises, and she knows f.p’s gonna have to bend backwards to make this right, because they left a few ghoulies with more than just bruises and cuts…

 

toni glances down at her bruised and bloody knuckles as she closes her hand over the handle of the door, and she licks her lips before she sighs and pushes the door open as quickly as she can, desperate to get inside and away from f.p before he can come back to harass her about her role in all of this.

 

she’s an enforcer. nothing more, nothing less. they tell her to punch, she says ‘how many times?’. that’s how this goes…

 

it doesn’t mean she’s particularly happy about it.

 

she wishes her uncle was still here and her grandfather wasn’t dead. if they were here with her, maybe she’d feel a little more brave, maybe she’d feel more inclined to tell f.p jones to stick his serpent jacket where the sun didn’t shine, because the serpents, technically, were _hers_ , and not his…

 

she closes the door behind her and throws her keys onto the table, her leg aching with each step as she sighs and unbuttons her jeans, now stained with blood. 

 

her blood.

 

_christ, toni…cheryl’s gonna freak out…_

 

toni bites down on her bottom lip, hissing when her teeth graze over a cut before she kicks her jeans off and begins making her way to the bedroom.

 

she knows her ribs are bruised because she can barely lift her arms and each breath she takes is painful, and she can feel the blood dripping from her nose as she wipes it away with the sleeve of her shirt, sniffing once as she sheds her serpent jacket and opens the door to the bedroom. she throws the jacket onto the chair in the corner before her eyes land on the body on top of her bed. 

 

cheryl is curled up on top of the blankets, the fan ticking above her head loudly as the summer heat clings to the air in the room, the sun that’s rising over the horizon making the room feel even more muggy and damp. toni can feel the sweat clinging to her body despite the clothes she’s shed, and she sighs and makes her way over to the bed, her eyes on cheryl’s prone body.

 

and despite the absolute pain her battered body is in, toni finds herself smiling softly at the way cheryl’s now bare lips are slightly parted, sweat beads on her forehead and neck and her legs bare of any clothing.

 

she’s only wearing toni’s shirt.

 

the affection that hits her has toni sighing before she sinks down beside cheryl, reaching out to rub her hand up and down her arm soothingly.

 

and as soon as she makes contact, cheryl’s eyes flutter open, a deep inhale expanding her chest before she looks up at toni with a sleepy frown.

 

“toni?” she whispers.

 

“yeah. i’m back, cher-bear. i’m okay.” toni croaks out, but regardless, cheryl’s eyes widen as she takes in toni’s face, a soft gasp escaping her as she sits up quickly.

 

“toni…toni, oh my god!” cheryl immediately cups toni’s face into her hands, the pink haired serpent hissing in pain before she can stop herself when cheryl squeezes a little too hard on a bruise on her jaw. 

 

“i’m okay, cher, it’s not that bad-.”

 

“what happened?!” cheryl cries out, her thumb wiping under toni’s nose and pulling away with blood staining it, her gaze falling down to it with wide eyes as toni sniffs once and wipes at it again with the sleeve of her shirt. 

 

“ghoulie beatdown. they’re savages, cher-bear, but i’m okay, i promise-.”

 

“no, you’re not, toni! god, i…come on, let’s get you in the shower so i can check your injuries…” cheryl jumps up off the bed, grips both of toni’s hands in her own and slowly helps her up off the bed before she leads her straight towards the bathroom, and toni simply follows along with a doped out smile despite how badly her body is hurting.

 

“you gonna play nurse, cher? if that’s the case, i wanna see the sexy nurse outfit.” she teases, chuckling despite herself when cheryl rolls her eyes and purses her lips.

 

“it’s not funny, toni! i shouldn’t have let you go-.” 

 

“you wouldn’t have been able to stop me, cher. even if i didn’t want to go, i _had_ to. can’t disobey the serpent king.” toni grumbles, stopping short when they reach the bathroom as cheryl spins around with a glare and reaches for the hem of her shirt. 

 

“wait, i…i can’t lift my arms.” toni sighs, looking up at cheryl sheepishly as the redhead huffs in frustration before she reaches for the sleeve of her shirt.

 

“alright…alright, just…go slow, t.t.” cheryl sighs, slowly lifting her arm out of the sleeve before repeating the process with the other. once toni’s arms are out of the sleeve, cheryl lifts it up over her head and drops it to the ground before she reaches for the back clasp of her bra.

 

“how bad are you hurt, toni? god, your ribs…” cheryl blinks back tears as she takes in the red, blue and black blotches all over her girlfriend’s ribs and body. 

 

she ducks down and hooks her fingers into her panties, quickly pulling them down until toni’s completely naked in front of her.

 

someone hurt her girl, the love of her life, her _soulmate…_

 

cheryl feels so stupid for letting her go now, god, what have they done to her…

 

“i’m just a little bruised and battered, baby, but i’ll be okay…” toni mumbles, ever the brave soldier, face not betraying a single emotion, defiant despite the pain she’s feeling, and cheryl cradles toni’s face into her hands before she leans in to press a gentle kiss to her bloodied lips.

 

“you don’t need to put the walls up around me, toni. you know that…” cheryl says softly. 

 

toni’s bottom lip trembles, the tears immediately welling in her eyes before she lets out a shaky breath and shakes her head. 

 

“i know. but i don’t wanna think about it, babe. i just…wanna wash the blood off and cuddle up in bed with my girl.” she says softly, chuckling when cheryl smiles before she presses another kiss to the corner of toni’s mouth.

 

“come on.” cheryl sniffs back her own tears and takes toni’s hand, leading her to the bathtub and helping her step over it, trying not to think about how angry she is, at f.p jones, at the serpents, at _all of it_ , and trying to focus instead on helping nurse her girlfriend’s injuries.

 

“join me?” toni says with a pout, and cheryl rolls her eyes before she whips her shirt off and takes off her panties, stepping over the tub into the shower with her.

 

toni turns the taps, the both of them basking in the cold water that hits their skin, eliminating the hot summer air that clings to their bodies as toni moves under it with a happy sigh. cheryl watches, entranced as the blood on her face begins to fall away with the water. there’s a cut above her eyebrow, and one at the bridge of her nose, as well as one on her lower lip. her eye is slightly bruised and there’s a bigger one forming on her jaw, but other that than, her face seems okay. nothing’s broken at least…

 

cheryl’s hands move over her skin, disrupting the water cascading over caramel flesh as she brushes her fingers over the bruises forming on her ribs, the one on her hipbone, and the gigantic gash on her thigh, trying her best not to cry at the sight of her girlfriend so…so fucking _broken…_

 

“god, toni…baby, maybe we should go to the hospital-.”

 

“they’re just cuts and bruises, cher-bear. i’m used to this.” toni says with a sigh, and cheryl simply frowns before she reaches for the bottle of shampoo on the small shelf beside the showerhead. she squeezes a glob of it into her hand before she begins massaging it into toni’s hair gently, smiling as the pink hair dye in toni’s hair stains the white foam while toni simply closes her eyes and smiles, lets cheryl take care of her, and cheryl’s thankful. 

 

she wants to look after her.

 

cheryl never thought her life would become this, the loving girlfriend of the soldier, the girl who comes back with bruises and bloodied knuckles while cheryl stays at home, up all night worrying about whether or not she’s going to get the call that toni is in the hospital…

 

she doesn’t want to bring this up with toni, because she knows it’s a sensitive subject. but at the same time, they’ve never once, in the nine months that they’ve been dating, not told each other what they’re feeling. they’re so _open_ with each other, so in touch with their feelings and their emotions, it doesn’t make sense for cheryl to draw back now…

 

as toni rinses her hair of the shampoo, cheryl does her own hair, and the process continues until cheryl begins to lather soap over toni’s body, rinsing away the blood stains and being gentle with the bruises until toni tucks a finger under her chin to lift her gaze up.

 

“you know, i’m feeling a little shit, and we were in the middle of something last night…” toni says in a low voice. cheryl cocks an eyebrow and looks up at her with a roll of her eyes.

 

“no, toni. you’re injured, and you haven’t even told me what happened-.”

 

“i know, but…it’ll make me feel better.” toni says with a cheeky grin that immediately melts cheryl’s heart into a puddle.

 

and despite everything in her telling her not to do this because toni’s hurt, she finds herself standing up and spinning toni around gently until her back is pressed against cheryl’s chest, a pale arm wrapping around her chest while the other moves down her body slowly.

 

toni feels like shit. and cheryl wants to make her feel good. besides…she missed her warmth beside her last night. cheryl doesn’t even know when she crashed out or at what time she did, but she’s surprised she even managed it without toni there with her. 

 

“i’m gonna go slow…i don’t want to hurt you more than you’re already hurt…and when we’re done here, i’m taking you into that bedroom and patching you up.” cheryl says firmly, and before toni can protest, cheryl moves her fingers down and rubs them against her clit slowly, dragging them through slick folds and smiling when toni’s head collapses against her shoulder with a soft groan.

 

“o-okay.” toni manages to choke out. cheryl trails kisses up and down toni’s neck and over her shoulder, moving her fingers faster, but still gently enough not to hurt toni, and it’s likely the most tender sex they’ve ever had in this goddamn shower, but cheryl doesn’t mind it. 

 

it’s a stark contrast to what they were up to last night, but cheryl finds herself smiling as she holds toni close to her body with the arm wrapped around her chest, and when a few minutes pass by and toni lets out this filthy moan as her back arches off cheryl’s chest with a breathless gasp, cheryl simply helps her roll through the waves of it before she presses a kiss to the back of her wet hair and moves forward to shut the water off.

 

“come on…time to patch you up and let you get some rest.” 

 

cheryl helps toni out of the shower and grabs one of the towels off the rack, running it through toni’s hair until it’s damp. as soon as cheryl does the same to herself, cheryl takes toni’s hand and leads her to the bedroom wordlessly, helps her put on fresh panties and helps her into one of her shirts before she shrugs into her own and leads toni over to the bed. she lays toni down gently, still without saying a word before she rushes to the kitchen to grab the first aid kit above the fridge and a few ice packs out of the freezer.

 

she’s so focused on her task that she doesn’t acknowledge the sound of yelling just outside of the trailer, the raised voices of f.p jones and what sounds like sweet pea and jughead. she just grabs what she needs and heads back to her girlfriend.

 

when cheryl re-enters the bedroom, she sees the tears that fall down the corners of toni’s eyes, disappearing into her wet hair, because if cheryl could hear the sounds of yelling, then toni can as well, and she sniffs and quickly wipes them away as soon as cheryl comes in, but the red haired girl doesn’t miss a beat.

 

she makes her way over to toni with a sigh, sits down by her side and leans down to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth. 

 

“talk to me, t.t. what happened?” cheryl asks softly. toni lets out a soft but deep whine, her chin wobbling as she swallows the lump in her throat and shakes her head.

 

“jughead tried to compromise, and the ghoulies wouldn’t hear it. they beat us down, but we got the upper hand and told them to fuck off…it’s not the beat down, cher, it’s the fact that they _keep happening._ you know, sweet pea, fangs and i, we’re like our own separate gang in a gang, those boys…they mean the world to me. so when they’re in trouble, i’ll jump in headfirst, but sometimes, they do dumb shit, and it’s just…it’s so frustrating, cheryl. i don’t wanna keep doing this with my life, the serpents are my blood, my _family_ , but i’m tired of getting my ass beat for something i didn’t even do.” toni blinks up at the ceiling to dispel any more of her tears as cheryl lifts her shirt up and rests an ice pack over her ribs gently.

 

it’s quiet for a few moments as cheryl moves down to the cut on her leg, and she simply waits for toni to continue, gives her the time to say what’s on her mind-

 

“you know, the serpents used to be about something more than just… _this._ it used to be about unity, about strength and family and keeping each other safe, keeping the community, the _people_ safe. and then the jones family took over leadership after my grandfather gave up the title and it all…it all just went to shit. jughead’s grandfather got the serpents into dealing drugs and everything fell apart. we lost the meaning of what the serpents were about, and fuck, cheryl…it hurts watching my legacy fall deeper and deeper into something it despised.” 

 

cheryl feels her own tears threaten to spill over at the emotion in her girlfriend’s voice, her fingers brushing over the wound on her leg, thankful that it’s no longer bleeding before she reaches for a bandage in the first aid kit. 

 

“why don’t you try and overthrow f.p then, toni? you’re a topaz, and from what you’ve told me, they started the serpents… _you_ should be leading, not him…” cheryl murmurs, resting the bandage of her leg and smoothing it out, sighing when she sees toni wince in pain at her actions. 

 

the idea of toni leading the serpents scares the shit out of cheryl, but she doesn’t voice her opinions, because this isn’t about her. it’s about toni, and if it’s what her girlfriend wants, then cheryl will support her-

 

“it’s not that simple, cher-bear. the serpents are mostly men, and mostly old men still stuck in their misogynistic ways…they’d never approve a woman leading them, even if she is the descendant of the elders who started their gang in the first place.” toni sighs out, but smiles as cheryl presses a kiss to the bandage before she moves up closer to toni’s face. 

 

“it doesn’t seem fair…” cheryl grumbles with a frown of concern. toni should be leading the serpents, they’re technically _her_ gang…

 

toni chuckles and simply shrugs.

 

“it’s not. but there’s not much i can do about it. besides, i’m not gonna be here much longer…we’re gonna save every penny we’ve got and we’re gonna get our asses into college, right, cher?” toni says, the hope in her tone making cheryl’s heart ache as she brushes toni’s hair back from her face and tucks it behind her ear with a warm smile.

 

because if there’s one thing about this life, despite how goddamn crazy it is, that she’s certain of, it’s that she and toni are going to get the hell out of riverdale, that the two of them, one day…

 

the two of them will be _free_ from this nightmare town. 

 

“yeah, toni. that’s _exactly_ what we’re gonna do. i promise, baby.” 

 

toni’s responding smile is astounding, and she holds her arms open as best she can, shuffles over to the middle of the bed so that cheryl can settle in against her, which she does, keeping her weight of the injured pink haired serpent as she lowers herself on top of her slowly. 

 

as soon as she’s down, toni wraps her arms around her and presses a kiss to her hairline.

 

“thank you for patching me up, babe.” she sighs. cheryl chuckles and leans up to press a kiss to the bruise on her jaw before she settles down on her chest and lets out a tired sigh, closing her eyes as she does.

 

“you’re welcome, t.t.” cheryl says simply. it’s quiet for a few moments before toni suddenly speaks up once more.

 

“i used to think i was gonna be stuck here my whole life, cher-bear…but ever since i met you…all i wanna do is get far away from here and spend the rest of my life making you happy. i thought i’d spent my whole life trying to fix the serpents, make them what they used to be, but now…i can’t fix something that’s so broken beyond repair.” 

 

toni’s voice wavers with emotion, and cheryl blinks back her own tears and pushes herself up to look into toni’s eyes with a smile that toni’s quite sure could power the entire town of riverdale.

 

“you fixed me.” she breathes out softly. 

 

toni’s tears fall before she can stop them, a sad smile forming as she reaches out and takes cheryl’s face into her bruised hands gently. 

 

“you never needed fixing, cheryl. and you may have been broken, but you got yourself out. i was just along for the ride…falling more and more in love with you every single second of every single day.” toni whispers back. 

 

cheryl exhales shakily before she leans up properly and presses a kiss to toni’s lips, savoring each second that passes before toni pulls back and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear with a smile.

 

“cher, do…do you think we can go visit my mom tomorrow? she’s never been a fan of the serpents, so she’ll probably be biased, but…i’d like her opinion. on what she thinks i should do.” toni asks with a little hesitation. it hasn’t been easy, navigating a relationship with her imprisoned mother, but cheryl’s been with her every step of the way, and toni can’t thank her enough for it, but what if she’s getting sick of having to always drive two hours out of town so they can see her-

 

“of course, toni. we’ll stop by the mall and get her something, too. we can give her gifts in prison, can’t we?” cheryl asks, frowning deep in thought as toni just watches her with nothing but adoration. 

 

she loves her…god, does she truly, utterly love her…

 

she grips cheryl’s face, kisses her deeply before she pulls away and rests her lips over her brow.

 

“you’re my world, cheryl blossom. please promise me you’ll never, ever forget that.” 

 

\-----------------

 

“hey, cheryl, i’ve been meaning to ask! where did you get that choker?”

 

the sound of veronica’s voice has cheryl choking on the soda she’s drinking, her cheeks immediately flushing red as toni simply clears her throat and sinks into the booth at pop’s she’s sitting at.

 

“uh…why?” she manages to gasp out, tears in her eyes as her hand immediately flies up to the collar around her throat, hooking her fingers into it and watching as veronica stares at with wonder and a soft grin.

 

“it’s so pretty, i’ve been looking for one for ages but i can’t find it at the mall-.”

 

“she bought it online.” toni cuts in abruptly. cheryl almost whines with relief at the save, smiles at toni softly as the girl simply eats her plate of waffles with a shrug. veronica frowns and lets out a soft hum, her head tilted to the side as she looks at it before she holds her hand out in front of cheryl expectantly.

 

“can you take it off so i can see it?” she asks innocently.

 

cheryl’s heart stops. 

 

oh god…oh god, this so not good, this is so not fucking good, how the hell is she supposed to explain that she’s not exactly _allowed_ to take the fucking thing off without toni’s permission?

 

she knows veronica will immediately boil it down to toni being possessive without knowing _anything_ about the nature of their relationship, of the fact that this whole collar is something cheryl started, but she knows if she even tries to explain it to veronica, the raven haired girl would never understand.

 

so instead, she simply shakes her head and occupies herself with the basket of fries in front of her. 

 

“it’s just a simple choker, ronnie. you should be able to find it anywhere.” she shoves a fry into her mouth, winces when veronica opens her mouth to say something, but she’s cut off by the sound of the bell ringing at the entrance of pop’s, the girl spinning around and smiling widely when archie andrews walks through.

 

she jumps out of the booth to welcome him, and cheryl feels herself relaxing into the booth with a sigh of relief as she looks at toni, who is looking at her with a sheepish grin.

 

“close call, babe.” cheryl clenches her jaw, tries to calm her racing heart down as toni leans in to press a kiss to her cheek softly. 

 

“calm down, baby. she doesn’t suspect a thing. besides…that was kind of hot. she totally almost found out our dirty little secret.” toni chuckles, grabbing another fry, not even aware of how the sweat begins to build on cheryl’s brow and how her fingers clench into fists and her nails dig into her palms.

 

she…veronica almost found out…the collar, the collar that brought her back from such a dark place, the collar that started her whole relationship with toni-

 

“cher? cher-bear, what’s wrong?” toni asks softly, her expression dropping from smug and amused to concerned and worried when she reads the tension rolling off of cheryl in waves. cheryl finds herself hooking a finger into her collar once more, trying to get it loose almost, because she finds herself unable to really breathe right now-

 

she goes to rip it off, but toni grips her wrist to stop her, and cheryl fights back a whine of panic and looks at her with a breathless pant, tears brimming her eyes as she swallows thickly, shuddering at the way her throat expands and brushes against the leather of the collar.

 

_get it off, get it off, get it off-_

 

“no.” toni says simply before she grabs cheryl’s hand and drags her up out of the booth, past archie and veronica now sucking each other’s faces off and down past the kitchen into the girls’ bathroom of pop’s diner.

 

cheryl finds herself gasping for air as toni locks the door to the bathroom, and she’s scratching at the collar anxiously, her fingers fumbling with the buckle behind it-

 

“i said no, cheryl.” toni says firmly, grabbing her hands and pulling them away, and cheryl doesn’t even bother to hold back the deep whine of panic that builds in her throat as she looks at toni in despair.

 

“c-can’t b-breathe, i c-can’t-.”

 

“yes you can. focus.” toni says, her fingers still closed around cheryl’s wrist, and the redhead can feel her vision beginning to blur, her breaths getting heavier, this fucking collar choking the life out of her-

 

_she almost found out. she almost found out, god, what if she did find out, what if she **knows** already, suspects something is up-_

 

the noise that escapes cheryl is almost inhuman this time as she rips her hand out of toni’s grasp and reaches for the buckle again, but once again, toni grabs her hand to stop her, the other hand gripping her chin and forcing her gaze up to look into her eyes.

 

“cheryl, focus. what did the collar start off as?” toni demands, the fingers around her wrist squeezing almost painfully, distracting her from the way her chest constricts with each breath more and more as she squeezes her eyes shut and tries to obey, to answer toni’s question.

 

“an-anchor. it was an an-anchor f-for me-.”

 

“an anchor for what?” toni says firmly. cheryl whines and shakes her head, tears splashing down her cheeks and into the sink as she tries to squirm out of toni’s grasp once more, but the girl is so fucking strong, even if she’s still healing from the beat down from the ghoulies she received over a week ago now-

 

“an-anchor for me t-to g-get control…to get c-control back-.”

 

“then get that fucking control back. focus, cheryl, don’t let the panic and the fear control _you._ ” 

 

“t-toni, i c-can’t b-breathe-.” she tries to reach for the buckle, and toni cradles cheryl’s face in her hands and blocks the buckle with her fingers, stopping cheryl from even reaching for it as she forces her to look into her eyes.

 

“yes, you can. close your eyes…focus on the feeling of it around your throat.” cheryl whimpers, but once again obeys, closes her eyes and tries to focus on the _feeling_ of the leather against her skin instead of how it constricts her throat-

 

“breathe in through your nose deeply and exhale out of your mouth deeply. come on, cher, focus on the collar, focus on my voice. focus on your _anchors._ ”

 

cheryl can’t help the flinch that happens when she suddenly feels toni’s lips skimming over her cheekbone, but she finds herself sighing in relief at the feeling, finds herself continuing to breathe in and out deeply while toni continues to patter soft kisses over her face as she does.

 

“there you go…good job, cher-bear, you’re doing amazing…” 

 

cheryl relaxes further into toni’s touch, her forehead resting against toni’s as slowly, but surely, her chest begins to relax and her throat does, too. the collar doesn’t feel so restricting anymore, and toni ends her journey of mapping cheryl’s face with her lips by pressing a soft kiss to hers, pulling back and brushing her thumbs over cheryl’s tear stained cheekbones.

 

“open your eyes, cher.” she croaks out. 

 

cheryl takes one last deep breath in before she opens her eyes slowly, eyelashes sticking together from the tears and mascara as her eyes land on toni.

 

toni, who smiles softly at her and brushes her tears away before she leans in to kiss the corner of her mouth.

 

“see? you’ve still got control, cheryl. you’re still in control, it was just a minor freak out-.”

 

“toni, what if she knows?” cheryl squeaks out, her voice not sounding at all like her own, and the panic begins to rise once more before toni suddenly grips her hand and shakes her head.

 

“let’s go home. come on.” she says simply, and before cheryl can protest, she drags cheryl out of the bathroom and out to the front door of the diner, neither of them listening when veronica shouts out to pay their bill as they make their way to toni’s bike.

 

the whole ride there, cheryl grips onto toni tightly, refusing to let go for even a second, to the point where her fingers are beginning to cramp as they pull up to the trailer park, but she finds it comforting. the feeling of toni’s back against her chest, the leather of her serpent jacket…it’s helping her, it’s keeping her calm, but that thought is still running through her mind.

 

_what if veronica knows?_

 

how can she even begin to explain to veronica what the collar means? what it’s done for her, how it now marks her as toni’s, without it sounding completely and utterly insane? 

 

she knows how it comes across as. and the last thing she wants is for veronica to think that toni’s forcing her into doing this, especially considering _cheryl’s_ the one who brought toni into her strange world of collars and needing an anchor to get through the goddamn spiral of shit and chaos that is her life. 

 

they already thought toni was controlling once before, she can’t let that happen again.

 

toni jumps off her bike as soon as she turns the engine off and takes cheryl’s hand, helping her off the bike as well and leading them up to the trailer slowly. 

 

as soon as they’re inside, she sits cheryl down on the couch and goes to grab a glass of water, and cheryl finds herself hugging her knees up to her chest as she rests her chin on top of them and tries her best to just keep breathing.

 

she doesn’t even know why she’s freaking out at this point, it doesn’t make sense. she can fucking _feel_ herself going back to how she was, over thinking things and panicking and god does she _hate_ herself for it-

 

“here, baby…drink up, come on.” toni rests the rim of the glass on cheryl’s bottom lip, and the girl lifts her chin up and takes a few gulps of water before she swallows thickly and looks up at toni with a sniff.

 

“i’m sorry-.”

 

“don’t apologize. you have nothing to be sorry for.” toni says abruptly, collapsing down beside her and rubbing her back consolingly as cheryl swallows the lump in her throat and shakes her head.

 

“i…i tried to take it off without your permission-.”

 

“you were panicking, cheryl, come on…don’t be crazy, come here.” toni wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her in close, and cheryl collapses into her touch with a heavy sigh, her eyes fluttering closed at the feeling of toni pressing a kiss to the top of her head gently.

 

“i’m proud of you.” toni whispers into her hair.

 

cheryl feels her bottom lip tremble, a soft whimper escaping her before she shakes her head.

 

“i…i was making all this progress, getting over all m-my bullshit, and now i…i f-feel like i’m back at square one-.”

 

“hey…cheryl, hey, look at me…” toni tucks a finger under her chin and lifts her gaze up, stares down at her with a frown of confusion and worry before she presses a kiss between her eyes affectionately.

 

“you’re not back at square one. the way you got your control back at pop’s, cheryl, the old you _never_ would’ve been able to do that. you know that, too, so don’t think you’re regressing back to how you were, because you’re not. you’re…god, cheryl, you’re so beautiful, and you’re so strong. it hurts me that there’s still moments where you can’t see that, but baby, you’re still _learning._ ” toni says softly, tucking a lock of red hair behind cheryl’s ear as the girl stares up at her with nothing but anguish shining in her eyes. 

 

“i just…the idea of v-veronica knowing-.”

 

“if she knows, she knows! who _cares_ , cheryl? she has no sway over us, over _you._ remember, reputation isn’t everything. that’s your mother talking, getting into your head again, but she doesn’t matter anymore, right, cher-bear?”

 

“of course she d-doesn’t-.”

 

“then _stop letting her get into her your head._ this is her talking and you know it, cheryl. you know deep down that even if veronica found out, _you_ wouldn’t care. because what the fuck can she say that could hurt you, that could make you feel bad about what we have when it makes you so happy?” 

 

cheryl freezes against toni, takes a few beats to process her words before she pushes herself up and looks at toni in surprise, watching as the pink haired serpent smiles softly before she grips cheryl’s hand into her own, the other curling a finger into her collar to tug on it lightly.

 

“you, cheryl blossom, are _happy._ so stop sabotaging yourself by getting upset over _nothing._ if veronica knows, who cares? fuck what she thinks, and fuck penelope blossom for ever making you think that reputation was the one thing in life you needed to strive by. _your happiness_ is all that matters, babe.” 

 

cheryl stares at her for a few moments, and toni raises an eyebrow before cheryl all but lunges at her, pushing her down into the couch and attacking her lips with a ferocity that has toni groaning loudly against her.

 

“i love you…i love you so much, toni topaz.” cheryl breathes against her lips, settling down in the space between her legs as toni laughs and presses a chaste kiss to her lips once more.

 

“i love you too, cheryl blossom. you and me, we’re gonna get through this. we’re gonna get through anything life throws at us because you and i were _made_ for each other, cher. i believe that with everything in me.” 

 

cheryl stares at her for a few moments before she grips the lapels of toni’s jacket and pulls her up into a seated position, their noses nuzzling against each other until she pulls her in for a heated kiss and slowly begins to strip her jacket off her shoulders.

 

she places the serpent jacket over the back of the couch before she grabs the hem of toni’s shirt and lifts it up and off her body, smiling when she notices that for the first time in about a week now, toni doesn’t wince in pain when she does it. 

 

“feeling better, mon amour?” cheryl teases, giggling when toni begins to kiss down her jawline with a loud laugh.

 

“how can i feel anything _but good_ when i’ve got you on top of me?” she teases back, her hand skating underneath cheryl’s shirt to touch the heated skin of her lower back before her tongue snakes out and lathes over her pulse point, biting down on the tender skin as she fiddles with the collar with her other hand.

 

“toni…take it off, please…” cheryl breathes out, biting back a whimper when toni purposefully kisses over her collar and avoids her throat, her nails digging into her skin as cheryl’s skirt rides higher and higher the more that toni continues to run her hands up and down her thighs. 

 

“no. that thing only comes off when _i say_ it comes off. you know the rules.” toni whispers against her skin hotly, her hand moving away from cheryl’s thigh to grip the hem of her shirt. she pulls it up and off cheryl’s body before she’s turning them on the couch until her feet are planted firmly on the ground and cheryl’s perched on her lap, knees resting on either side of her thighs as toni kisses her and tugs on her bottom lip playfully.

 

cheryl feels her continuously pressing kisses to the skin around the collar, and she’s resisting the urge to rip the damn thing off her throat for a different reason now as she rocks her hips down onto toni’s lap eagerly. but toni doesn’t make a move, continues kissing over the collar until cheryl lets out a loud whine and pulls back to look down at her with an impatient huff.

 

“are you torturing me on purpose?” 

 

“why, is it turning you on?” toni says with a grin. cheryl doesn’t respond, especially when toni tugs on the fucking collar with her teeth and has her gasping for air before she suddenly moves her hand back underneath her skirt and brushes her thumb over her clothed clit at the same time.

 

“answer me, cheryl.” toni says firmly, and cheryl rocks her hips down once more with a soft groan before she grips toni’s face in her hands and kisses her deeply, whining against her as she pushes cheryl’s skirt up higher until the belt is around her goddamn waistline. 

 

“i…yes, _toni, god, i…_ ”

 

“show me how much it turns you on then, baby.” toni doesn’t even give her a chance to speak before she’s moving her fingers underneath the fabric of cheryl’s panties and making straight contact with her clit now, and cheryl feels her whole body buck into toni’s touch, a soft yelp of surprise escaping her when toni grins up at her and curls her free hand around the back of cheryl’s neck to pull her down for a sloppy kiss. 

 

“you know…the other week…when i handcuffed you…and did this?” toni breathes between kisses, grinning as cheryl whines against her before she nods furiously.

 

“y-yes-.”

 

“mmm, we never really got to finish off what we started, did we?” toni whispers, nipping at her neck as cheryl whimpers before she shakes her head with just as much ferocity.

 

“n-no-.”

 

cheryl almost screams when toni suddenly pulls her hand out from under her skirt and reaches up for the bandana in her hair, which she easily unties before she grabs both of cheryl’s hands and ties them quickly behind her back, tightening the bandana around pale wrists and grinning when cheryl looks down at her in surprise.

 

“god, you really are full of kinks, aren’t you?” cheryl breathes, and toni laughs loudly before she reaches under her skirt with both hands to pull down her panties, cheryl hooking a leg up awkwardly to step out of them until they’re only resting around one ankle.

 

“you say that like you don’t have a list of kinks of your own. don’t break that bandana by the way, it’s my favorite.” toni chastises, and cheryl relaxes her shoulders and her arms as her hands rest against her lower back, unable to move them while toni begins to trail her own up and down cheryl’s thighs, her lips kissing over cheryl’s chest and nipping at the skin of her breasts that are exposed above the bra she’s wearing.

 

the bandana is a lot nicer than the cuffs, cheryl has to admit, but her knees are starting to hurt from how they’re digging into the couch. she adjusts herself, and it earns her a quick, but completely painless swat to her inner thighs from toni in reprimand.

 

“don’t move.” toni says simply. cheryl bites down on her bottom lip before she comes to a still on top of toni’s lap, her breathing racing and her arms already beginning to ache as toni kisses down the valley between her breasts and over her bra to her stomach slowly. 

 

okay…so they really are picking up where they left off, that’s…shit, how her life can go from a panic attack to _this_ in less than what, half an hour? jesus christ…

 

life with toni topaz is so fucking unpredictable…

 

“you move when i tell you to, you stop when i tell you to. if it gets too much, you tell me, got it, bombshell?” 

 

“y-yeah.”

 

“repeat it.”

 

“i move when you tell me to, i stop when you tell me to. if it gets too much, i tell you.” cheryl reiterates quickly, and toni smiles up at her softly before she rests her hands on cheryl’s hips. she simply drinks in the sight of cheryl half naked in front of her before she roams her hands down over her skirt and moves one of them back underneath it, fingers ghosting over her dripping center.

 

“lean into me, come here, cher…” toni whispers, and cheryl leans forward, her mouth dropping open as pleasure racks through her body when toni sinks two fingers straight into her. her forehead comes to rest against toni’s as the pink haired serpent tries to catch her own breath, clearly turned on from the way cheryl clenches around her fingers before she licks her lips and pulls back just a little, keeping their faces as close as possible as she kisses over her lips and cheeks softly.

 

“move, cher-bear. show me what you’ve got.”

 

cheryl breathes harshly against her before she begins rocking her hips down onto toni’s fingers, her body swaying slightly without the balance of her arms to keep her steady, but toni rests her free hand on cheryl’s hips to keep her rocking back and forth, her eyes falling over the way cheryl’s breasts bounce slightly in her bra with each movement almost hypnotically as she picks up the pace with each rotation of her hips.

 

“god, you’re so beautiful, cheryl…so, so beautiful. i love every goddamn inch of you, you know that, right?” toni curls her fingers upwards just as cheryl is about to answer, and a garbled response is all that’s heard as her reply turns into a cry of ecstasy, her hips slamming down against toni’s fingers a little harder now as her head falls back before she can stop it-

 

“you’re so perfect, baby…god, look at you, you’re doing so well, good girl…”

 

fuck, she knows that sets cheryl off, she teases her about that fucking praise kink every chance she gets-

 

“stop.”

 

cheryl manages to bite back a whine as her hips roll to a stop, her breathing heavy and her eyes fluttering open as she looks down at toni with lust filled eyes that have the pink haired serpent grinning up at her before she smooths a hand up and down her thigh and nods.

 

cheryl starts moving again, sweat beginning to drip down her brow as toni moves her free hand around to grab the wrists bound behind her back, using them as leverage to push cheryl forward onto her fingers even more before her thumb moves up to brush over her clit-

 

“JESUS! FUCK, TONI-.” cheryl screams out, unable to hold it back any longer, not even caring if any of the serpents are around to hear it, and clearly toni doesn’t give a shit either, because she’s moving her fingers faster and rubbing her thumb harshly against her until cheryl’s thighs are shaking and her arms are straining against the bandana-

 

“stop!” 

 

cheryl’s head drops down against toni’s shoulder with a cry of anguish as she sobs openly, her whole body throbbing and aching with need as her hips stop voluntarily, every part of her wanting to spit out a good and hearty ‘fuck you’ to toni so she can just _keep going-_

 

“you’re doing so good, cher…no more stopping, i promise, just wait a little longer-.”

 

“you know…i hate…edging…” cheryl manages to spit out into her ear, and toni grins widely moves her hand up from cheryl’s wrists to grip the collar around her throat, tugging her back by it gently to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

 

“that’s why i love doing it. you better give me your all with this round, cher-bear. you ready?” toni asks firmly, wrinkling her nose playfully as cheryl smiles before she does the same.

 

something known only between them both. a sign of affection and silliness, but also love, and bravery…

 

when toni nods, cheryl decides to put her back into it fully this time. she’s rolling her hips down and leaning into toni without abandonment, kissing over her face and moaning when toni scratches her nails over her thighs and back, her lips closing around a nipple over her bra, and that’s exactly what sends cheryl right over the edge.

 

she screams and clenches her thighs over toni’s lap, can feel herself gushing over toni’s fingers as she buries her face into toni’s shoulder in an attempt to muffle her moans, because she’s quite sure she’s never _been_ this loud before. her hands are straining against the ties, and toni quickly pulls on the knot and lets cheryl’s arms flop helplessly to her sides. she ignores the pins and needles that explode up them and grips toni’s face in her hands, kissing her passionately as she continues to roll her hips down until the pleasure ebbs away and her heart begins to calm down just a little. 

 

they’re quiet for a few moments, simply breathing each other in before toni suddenly reaches up to unbuckle cheryl’s collar from around the back of her neck, and cheryl gasps in shock, shuddering when toni withdraws her fingers from inside her at the same time she whips the collar off from around her neck as well.

 

toni looks down at the leather before she smiles up at cheryl knowingly, and cheryl feels almost naked with it despite the fact that she’s literally half naked on top of toni’s lap right now with her skirt bunched up to her waist and no shirt on. 

 

“you, cheryl blossom…don’t need an collar to anchor yourself. and you don’t need it to mark me as yours, or mark you as mine, or any of that crap…because _i’m yours, and you’re mine._ forever and always, cher-bear. so…if you wanna stop wearing it, because you’re scared that other people will find out, then that’s _okay._ but don’t forget what i said about veronica and your mother before. i meant it. _fuck_ what anyone thinks. just focus on what makes you happy.” 

 

cheryl sees the tears that build in toni’s eyes, and she brushes her thumbs over her cheekbones before she leans down to kiss her softly, pulling back just to nuzzle their noses together with a smile.

 

“ _you_ make me happy. and wearing that collar, knowing it connects me to you, makes me happy. so put that thing back on my neck before i lose my damn mind, toni topaz.” 

 

and toni topaz, with her nimble fingers and delicate hands, places the collar back over cheryl’s throat and buckles it into place with nothing but a smile.

 

“good. because i gotta admit, that collar around your throat does things to me, i’d hate to see it go. now get your ass in the bedroom, because we’re not done here, _mon amour._ ”


End file.
